This game was played at the Bordeaux area wargaming convention, and the scenario was designed by Steph (french-mechwarrior) and Jean-Jacque (Stenka) who supplied ost minis ( I supplied my SoL Atlas and my new Benjamin Gladiator). It is supposed to be a battle fought during the 3061 Ghost Bear / Draconis Combine war. The Ghost bears deployed (everyone 3/4) an Executionner A, a Timberwolf H, a Summoner H, a Mad Dog H, A stormcrow B, an Ursus, a Viper A and a poit of Laser Elementals in order to assault a heavily fortified DC town, raze or scan a few buildings, and capture a high ranking Drac general.

In order to prevent this, the Kuritans deployed no less than 2 AS7D Atlases, a Heavy Gauss Stalker, a Sunder (tons of MRM version), a CPT-1 Catapult, a Komodo, a Phoenix Hawk, a Pulse laser Spider, all 4/5. Later were to enter the fray he Drac General in a Zeus, alongside a Chimera, a Ninja To and my Gladiator, all 4/5.

Terrain was made to even out the odds, as indeed the IS force was quite underwhelming facing this Clan juggernaut. As you can see, the Clan deployment zone was on the right side, devoid of cover and harmstrung by a handful of rough hexes. On the big ridge in the middle, you could find lots of long range turrets, with 3 Gauss rifles, 2 LRM 20, 3 Large Lasers, 6 AC5, and some AC2… these turrets could not however shoot behind the ridge at the town. In the town itself, more turrets could be found. I’ve lost the exact count, suffice it to say that you would find a double AC 20 turret, and a bevy of turrets with MLs, MPLs and SRMs covering the approaches to most objective buildings. And as icing on the cake, lots of minefields…

A close up on the center of the ridge : the big twin barreled turret sports 2 Gauss Rifles, the 3 barreled one 3 Large Lasers, and the one looking like a grey box has a LRM 20. Behind the big Level 2 wall, you can see one the short range turrets, with MLs and SRMs. Every single hex on the L2 hill that did not have a turret was mined.

The Ghost Bear deployment. The Viper is carrying the Elemantal point, it will rush to the center ridge and unload them. The GB commander plan was to conentrate in the center and assault there.

Steph’s Inazagi Sunder, heavily customized.

The Ghost Bears’ plan was simple indeed : rush the center, disable automated defences there, and go over the top into the town, breach the kuritan defence and accomplish their mission. They were betting on speed and aggressivity, accepting to take losses on teh way in order to take the Dracs wrong footed, and defeat them in detail. You can see that the plan did not go too badly for the Bears. The only victim running the gauntlet was the Summonner, who took 2 gauss pellets and a bevy of other lighter shots, lost an arm, but even he did not fall. Most units however took damage (even the Viper, who delivered its Elly cargo as intended… the Ellies would play a crucial role later, never underestimate the small guys *evil grin*). The big GR turret, a LRM 20 turret, both AC5 turrets and a few AC2 turrets were taken out, and the mechs on the ridge could take out some turrets in the town too.

The Kuritan answer : try to concentrate most units in the center, while the Catapult and Stalker tried to provide covering fire. There, the high buildings on the Bears’ right flank provided them cover, as the cut most lines of fire for the Catapult. On the other wing, the distance and speed of the Clanners deprived the Stalker’s shots of accuracy. You can see DC lighter elements (P Hawk , Komodo and Spider rushing to support one of the Atlases). Ghost Bear mechs are nearly over the ridge, as well as the Elementals.

Ouch, minefield! The cent coin on the board is a marking a minefield, and the Stormcrow, slowed down by the hill, has taken damage to its legs. The Komodo tried to take advantage of this and rushed to fire an alphastrike at the Stormcrow, while the point of Elementals jumped in support. High probabilities of hits meant lots of damage to both mechs, but the Komodo’s lighter armor made it a victim of the Elementals’ finishing fire. One kill for the Battle Armors.

The Clanners go over the top! The Ryoken rushes into the town, while most other mechs stand on the hill to provide support (the Summoner, heavilydamaged, seeks cover among the buildings, several close defence turrets having been destroyed ). The ill advised P Hawk takes a stand, hoping concentrated fire with the Atlas would finish off the Stormcrow, and gets jumped by the Elementals. The Atlas takes a beating from the Mad Dog, T Wolf and Ryoken (UAC 20 double tap, ouch), gets its armor breached and ammo critted, BOOM ! Down goes the big mech…

but that is not all. The Stormcrow fire some ERMLs at the P Hawk, that had already taken a HLL hit to its CT from the Summoner. CT armor is breached, and the Elementals’ terrific volley of SLs and SRMs downs it for good. 2nd kill for the Elementals.

Broad view of teh situation in the center. 2 dead mechs, and the Clanners are through, but the bigger part of their force still has to come to support them.

Meanwhile, on the right flank, the Viper has disposed of the HPG. One objective building destroyed.

But at last, the DC General manages to reach the battlefield, bringing with him a Zeus, a Ninja To, a Chimera and a Gladiator. The Bears’ success was short lived, and they were left with teh grim task of continuing the attack. The Executionner, Ursus and T Wolf faced off against the second Atlas and Sunder trying to regain control of the center ridge. The T Wolf and was killed by an Ac 20 to the head by the Atlas, the Ursus was badly damaged by the Sunder, but the T Wolf killed the Sunder (ammo crit) and teh Ursus and Executionner gave the Atlas a roughing up (including a kick by the Executionner) and destroyed the Atlas boom stick and an arm.

By that time, it was getting late, the convention was one hour from closing, and we called the game, unanimously deciding this was a draw. Drac losses were indeed horrific, but it was far from assured the badly damaged Bears could have overpowered the mostly fresh remaining DC mechs.